Wallabies Make Four Changes to Face Record-Seeking All Blacks

By Dan Baynes -
Oct 16, 2012

Australia made four starting changes
for this weekend’s final Bledisloe Cup rugby Test against New
Zealand in Brisbane, where the Wallabies will try to prevent the
All Blacks from tying their record winning run.

Adam Ashley-Cooper replaces injured winger Digby Ioane,
while Wycliff Palu takes over at No. 8 from the rested Radike Samo. Scott Higginbotham was picked at blindside flanker and
Benn Robinson takes over at prop from James Slipper in the other
changes from the 25-19 win in Argentina on Oct. 6.

Australia beat New Zealand 25-20 when they met in Brisbane
14 months ago in the deciding game of the final Tri-Nations
tournament. The All Blacks haven’t lost since, winning the 2011
Rugby World Cup and this year’s inaugural Rugby Championship,
during which they twice beat the Wallabies to retain the
Bledisloe Cup for a 10th straight series.

“The All Blacks are the benchmark and proved it again
through the Rugby Championship,” said Wallabies coach Robbie Deans. “They are a step up from where we’ve been, but the guys
have shown a lot of resilience over the last two months and
they’re excited about the opportunity ahead of them.”

New Zealand takes a 16-Test winning streak into the match
at Suncorp Stadium, one short of the top-tier record of 17
consecutive victories it shares with South Africa. Lithuania
holds the outright record of 18 wins in a row, according to the
International Rugby Board.

Latest Injury

Hooker Saia Fainga’a, who was earlier named among the
replacements, joined the list of injured Wallabies today when he
broke his hand in training, the team said. James Hanson will
take his bench spot.

Australia is missing first-choice players including lock
and regular captain James Horwill, scrum-half Will Genia,
openside flanker David Pocock, hooker Stephen Moore and back
James O’Connor.

Pocock, who is recovering from knee surgery after damaging
cartilage in the Aug. 18 match against New Zealand, told
reporters today that he doesn’t know if he’ll be fit enough to
play on Australia’s four-match tour of Europe, which opens Nov.
10 against France in Paris.

“The very best case scenario would be playing towards the
end of the spring tour, but that’s maybe not that realistic,”
Pocock said today in Canberra.